Sunsets
by Wistful-Eyes
Summary: Tomoe and Kenshin: a feinted marriage, a relationship that managed to turn into love. This is a series of one-shots, exploring the chapters of the manga to find out about the emotions of the two people caught in a warring era. Ch 7- Her waking thoughts
1. Rain of Blood: Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing. :P

Summary: One-shots taking place during "Remembrances", mostly following the manga version. Guided by Maigo-chan's transalations. Will vary in length, be out of order, and maybe I'll do some scenes over again too.

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**A Man and Woman in a Rain of Blood:**

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**Meeting**

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_"I followed you out of gratitude for what you did back there."_

Walking so slowly, gracefully, who could tell she was drunk unless they were close enough to smell the sake on her breath or see the dullness in her eyes?

Her thoughts slowed down until only the urges were left, the insistent pounding of _thank him, thank the man_. She had spied on him, watched which way he went. She rounded the corner of the path to see a ninja being sliced in two, to feel his blood splatter her head to toe.

_Thank him, thank him_, faded away and she was left with new knowledge. _He_ had killed someone. _He_ lowered the sword in his hand, but still kept a tight grip. Ready to kill. Kill me.

_I just wanted to thank you._ His gaze is startled, unsure. She should not have followed him. But he was so good, so noble back in the bar. Justice embodied. But now...

_"But you really made it rain blood."_

They watch each other for a moment longer.

_Bloody rain... there's a scar on his cheek._

She remembers what the people from the bar had said.

_A real patriot._

She pieces together the information and comes to the overwhelming conclusion.

_A swordsman on the patriot side… his scar... this blood surrounding her… **Hitokiri Battousai**._

_..._

_I've found you at last._

She pitches forward in a faint.

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End Notes

Really short. Whoops.


	2. In the Country

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing.

Notes: Aha…. Lol, this is definitely longer. With a different style of telling too, I think… So you see, it will be very mix-matchy and weird. I'm only doing this because I feel like I should update more, and one-shots I can write quickly. Oh, and because I want to contribute more KT. I feel like I've read every fic and seen ever fanart about them. I want more to read… (cries)

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**In the Country**

We are married. This is the life he has given me. I cook, clean, and make sure the children don't hurt themselves when they roughhouse in the front yard. I bid him farewell when he goes out to sell medicines, and I welcome him home when he comes back. These things would symbolize a normal household. But we aren't. These aren't our children. There is no romance in this house. We are married, but just.

The children love him. They mob him as he arrives. They clamber around him, fighting for attention, yelling all the while. And the hitokiri laughs, smiling cheerfully at all of them.

"Sorry I was gone so long. Did you play with Tomoe?"

"Yeah, but..."

"She's a little boring," said one of the girls, dropping her voice to a whisper. I hear her, nonetheless. And I feel a twinge of something I cannot quite name... regret?

"Anyway, you're here now," a boy calls out excitedly. "Let's play swordsmen-"

"Nooo," a girl whines. "Only the boys do that. Let's all have a race again, like last week."

I remember that. Poor Kenshin had to keep feinting trips in order to let the children win. Maybe he remembers it too, because he turns his attention to another child, standing away from the group. _Ah._ I want to see how he deals with this.

Her face is nervous as he comes up to her. Her words echo in my mind.

_"My father says I shouldn't come here anymore... he doesn't trust Kenshin-ojisan. But Mother says that Kenshin-ojisan is a good guy."_

She looks up at me hopefully, as if I'll confirm that Kenshin is indeed a good person. But I... can't say...

"You can ask him when he comes home," I say, without a trace of emotion. She looks at me with confusion, and then runs off to join the rest of the children. Of course she is confused. Wouldn't a wife defend her husband? But I can't reassure her, because I'm not even sure myself.

_He brings the bloody rain..._

But when I see him now, like this... So different, so kind. _Too_ kind. Maybe that's what roused suspicion in the girl's father. Such a kind young man, appearing out of nowhere with his quiet wife. How could there be such kind strangers in the middle of a rebellion?

_Because_, I think, _he hasn't had a chance to be kind, to be happy like this in such a long time... just like me. Except I..._

I don't know if I can be happy. Even with all this, living in a pleasant countryside home, with children around me. It's what I dreamed married life would be like, what I dreamed would satisfy me. Except that the man I'm committed to... is not the one I had pictured. He is the murderer of that man.

"My dad said that there's something strange about you, so I shouldn't play with you. But my mom says you look out for everyone, so you're a good person."

I now turn towards them, watching silently. I need to hear his answer. I scan his face for any sign of sadness, anger, any negative emotion.

There is none. Instead, he's smiling. _Smiling._

"I see." He reaches down to pat her head. "Well, I'll be inside all day tomorrow, so you can play with everyone."

She smiles back happily and runs off to join her friends. I'm not sure what to feel. He didn't even give a real answer.

_Are you a good guy, or a bad guy? _

He didn't say. Does that mean… he doesn't know, either?

Now he turns to face the other children. "It's getting late. You should all be heading home."

They obey, calling back over their shoulders good-bye.

Kenshin comes towards me.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I don't smile well. I like children, but I…"

"It's okay." He reassures me.

He smiles so much here. Has he been lacking this type of peacefulness so desperately? He's changed so much from the man who comes home with an empty expression on his face after murders in the dark. That look is gone, and now that smile always seems to be there, no matter what. Such a change…

"Especially in front of that unguarded smile…" I murmur.

He glanced at me, surprised.

"You smile a lot these days."

_You don't know how I envy your smile… I want to be able to smile, like you._

He seems lost in thought, and then he explains, slowly.

"Yes . . . I guess that's true. I've been though a lot of bad times. I was born in the middle of a famine; I lost my parents and brothers. Since the age of ten, I've trained relentlessly under the Hiten Mitsurugi school. Now I'm Choshu's shadow assassin. Up till now, in my dealings with people, I haven't had a lot to smile about."

We started walking, the setting sun casting red everywhere.

"I learned the principles of the Hiten Mitsurugi school, wielded a sword, killed . . . all for an age in which the powerless could find happiness," he continued. "But to tell the truth, up till now, I didn't know what happiness was."

He stopped and looked at me. "What I've come to fight for, and what I'll fight for from now on . . . Living these five months in the country, with you, has taught me that. I know that someday the fighting will begin again, but at least until New Year's, I want it to stay like this . . ."

_You love the peace… I'm glad._

_I've… misjudged you again._

"Come, then," I say quietly, trying to ignore the faint blush on my cheeks. "Let's have dinner."

I turn and walk towards the house, and he follows me. The silence feels awkward. I feel like I've dismissed him. And he's just told his whole history to me. But I can't reveal anything in turn… because…

_I was supposed to kill you._

"I'm sorry…"

"What?"

_I won't tell you. Because like you, I want this peace to last at least till New Year's…_

"Dinner must be cold by now."

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End Notes: 

Thank you so much for last chapter's reviews! I hope this one doesn't disappoint you. Thanks for telling me how to say "Uncle Kenshin" in Japanese.


	3. Yukishiro Tomoe: Teasing

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing.

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**Yukishiro Tomoe:**

**Teasing**

I accepted the tray from Okami-san just when the Battousai came through the door in a panic, calling out the innkeeper's name frantically. Seeing that he had been worked up over nothing, he lost his composure and fell to the floor. I did nothing when I saw this. My expression didn't change, but inside, I felt a little lost.

The Battousai, the murderer of many, was acting like a young one, more than I ever did at his age. I had been informed of his age, and had been surprised at his youth, but I still hadn't expected him to be like this, so unprepared at dealing with me...

"Oh, good morning, Himura," Okami-san greeted him. "Despite appearances, your girlfriend is a very good worker."

Was I the only one who heard the slight teasing in her voice? No, because Battousai, _Himura_, turned red.

This boy was Akira-sama's murderer? But he was a fearful assassin. I saw so last night. But the way the innkeeper addressed him so casually, it's like she's talking to a child.

My thoughts stopped as the Battousai looked at me. Quickly, I swept out of the room, deciding to focus on my new chores rather than start a confrontation with him. However, he picked himself up and followed me, obviously disgruntled.

"Um… what's your name?" he asked behind me.

_Give as little information as possible. You must find a way to fix yourself among them. Do not let him throw you out._

"Tomoe," is all I say. I can feel his confusion and exasperation.

"Tomoe, what are you doing?"

"Can't you tell?"

The reply is out before I can stop it. I keep walking, going a tad faster, just in case he'll strike me from behind at such a rude answer. He does no such thing.

"Helping out in the kitchen," he states, just as lost at my behavior as I am to his.

I think I'm beginning to see why Okami-san jests with him so. He really doesn't know how to respond to such acts. At least, acts from women.

_All right, then_, I think. _This is how it will be._

"So you did know," I say, with only a hint of mockery. I stop in front of a screen and sink to my knees before sliding it open, as is proper.

"Excuse me, I've brought breakfast."

Whistles and hoots boom out from the room, and Battousai… Himura, is knocked aside. The Choshu men call out approvingly, but also rudely. Now _this_ is behavior I am used to. No matter how much I ignore them, the men always seem to notice me. Just like those brutes from the bar, last night…

I sighed inwardly. They were all the same. Loud, rude, and making assumptions right away. _Himura's girl_, they were already saying, just because of one night in his room, when furthermore, nothing happened. But try telling that to these men. However, I could use this to my advantage. The more I appointed myself as Battousai's woman, the harder it would be for him to make me leave. And then I would get revenge for Akira-sama, the one man who treated me like an individual and was killed by the boy behind me.

"My name is Tomoe," I say conversationally. "How nice to meet you."

"Hey, knock that off!" Himura screeches behind me. I pay him no mind, and he steadily turns redder. What a revenge.

"Oh, embarrassed, lover boy?" cries one of the men, sidling up next to him, a wide grin on his face.

"Iizuka-" he protests angrily.

"Sooo, how was she?" he hoots gleefully.

I frown and get up to leave, having done my duty. There was nothing left for me here. Let Battousai handle this.

_Battousai._

Quick as a flash, his hand is at his sword hilt, thumb ready to unsheathe it. Iizuka and the other men back away quickly, the noisy atmosphere turning shocked.

_That's right. He's Battousai._

"I almost forgot," Iizuka muttered hoarsely. "Just teasing him is taking your life in your hands."

_That's right. He's not just a boy. He's Battousai._

I exit the room silently, and no one notices me leaving. As I walk back down the hall to Okami-san, who will surely give me more chores, I think of how quickly I had been fooled.

The way the Battousai acts is already affecting the way I think about him. Sometime he acts like just a boy, but he's a killer, nonetheless. If he thinks I will excuse his crimes for his youth, he is incredibly mistaken. He will soon be shocked back to reality. I'll make sure of it. I'll make him see his crimes.

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Author's Notes: 

I was trying to find out why Tomoe started asking him questions that would make him think about what he was doing, instead of just being silent and sticking to the plan; finding out his weakness.

(His weakness is teasing! Ha-ha!)

So I was trying to put myself in her shoes and think her way, and this is what I came up with. O.o Looking at it again, it seems a little mean… but I don't really think so. She's just helping him "become a real man", so says the Trust Betrayal DVD summary. :P And that means shaking him out of his idealism and truly understand what's going on.

Thank you to reviewers! I think I'll try changing the second chapter to "Kenshin-ojisan" later on. I didn't want to use "Ken-niisan" or "Ken-nii", because I thought it was too childish. The kids who play with Kenshin in Otsu seem older than Ayame and Suzume. Oh, and yes, I am using Maigo-chan's transalations. So there's definately credit to her!


	4. Snow, white: The Promise

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing. :)

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Snow, white…:

The Promise

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Maybe it was his fault. He had never noticed- not once, in these 5 months spent living with her- how unhappy she was. His own happiness had blinded him, experiencing peace for the first time… perhaps he had thought that would be enough for the both of them. That her calm face, not showing the smiles that danced upon his own frequently in the day was something of the norm. He hadn't questioned. He had never wondered. It seemed obvious to him now; something was wrong, and he should have been able to tell from the joy that never showed on her face.

Her story spilled from her lips, telling the grief she had felt, showing it on her face as she began to cry.

_She's been unhappy, all this time. Joy keeps escaping her._

Guiltily, with self-rebuke, he clutched her to his chest, letting her tears soak into his clothing.

Minutes later, wrapped safe in a large blanket and sharing each other's warmth, he gave her his own promise. He would find happiness for her, and protect it, just as she had given him happiness; she had saved him from his own darkness. He wanted to do the same for her.

"The happiness you lost once, in all this violence. I'll protect it this time for you."

And he knows can succeed at this, because she finally smiles at him. It is a smile he will keep in his heart, always.

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(sigh) I'm trying to write a chapter that has a feel similar to chapter one. It's pretty hard since I don't even know how I got that one... I still didn't change "Uncle Kenshin" to Japanese... I'm so lazy. XD And thanks for reviewing. It's nice to see this small gathering of KxT fans. :) Cyz! 


	5. Forest of Barriers: Setting Out

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing.

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**Forest of Barriers:**

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**Setting Out**

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He wakes in their bed to find her gone. The rest is like a blur. He reads the letter telling of her capture. He is numb, and then the fury sets in, quicker than expected. He crumples the paper with its taunting ink strokes.

_We have her. We have stolen her from right under your nose._

_You have allowed her to be in danger._

He is angrier than he has ever been before. The one he has sworn to protect is in danger. The one he loves is being used against him.

Armed with his katana once again, he sets out to retrieve her. The young healer disappears and Hitokiri Battousai walks the earth once more, with only a boy to witness his revival.

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.......The boy being Enishi, in case you didn't know.

I was a little scared when I read the transalations. Kenshin so furious is pretty shocking, isn't it? Half the things he did to those ninjas... and yet it just makes my heart go out to him even more. :P Heh.


	6. Madness

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing.

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Madness

_The hitokiri didn't admit it, but the smell of blood was everywhere. It was in his mind, he knew, but he still couldn't get rid of the scent… until **she** came._

_"Your questions pierced the haze around me. My half-lost sanity returned to me."_

_He owed her more than she would ever know._

Kenshin stared out the window, eyes clouded, sitting on his usual spot by the windowsill, conversations repeating in his mind.

_If I had been carrying a sword that night, would you have…?_

Her question kept echoing in his mind, whenever he was off duty and tried to get some peace. He had defended himself as best as he could against her disguised accusations, but she still didn't understand.

_Or could it be that it's the other way around…?_

He shook his head inwardly. He couldn't let his resolve slip. Despite whatever Yukishiro Tomoe believed, this was all for the good of Japan, for the future. A future with no oppression, bloodshed, or situations that would force a young boy to loose everything and bury the ones who protected him with his own hands… Even back then, he had showed his pure heart by burying the bandits who had murdered the troupe. He most definitely would not kill an unarmed man, much less a woman…

But when he met her, there had been that slight moment's hesitation.

_For a moment I had hesitated… whether I should silence her or not._

"It was only a thought," he murmured, reassuring himself. "I was never going to kill her…not an unarmed civilian, a woman, alone on the street…no, not her…"

He slid off the sill silently and walked over to open the shoji, finding that Tomoe herself was about to enter. He thought to say something but didn't, and stepped back wordlessly, allowing her in. She walked past him, and once again, he inhaled her scent.

_Hakubaikou… it finds its way into my dreams, now._

He stared at her back, feeling strangely tense, and then swept out of the room.

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Two weeks later, he still wasn't sure what to think of her. She was not a lot of trouble, and Okami felt that she proved her worthiness and continued to keep Tomoe busy with chores. They talked everyday, but only in politeness and because it was required, since they shared a room, though they rarely occupied it at the same time.

He was sitting on the windowsill, his eyelids lowered to protect his eyes from the sun. He liked to look out of window, looking at what parts of the city he could see from the perch. He was seeing Kyoto for what it could be, after all the bloodshed. The murders were not done in the day.

_"If I had been carrying a sword that night, would you have…?"_

_This again…_ Kenshin thought broodingly. _That question…_

The shoji slid open, revealing Tomoe, a handkerchief on her head and a broom in one hand. She fixed him with her doe-eyed stare. "I'm going to clean this room. Please leave it for a while."

Kenshin frowned, noticing how her sentences left no room for arguments. "I don't remember asking you to clean it," he said, annoyed at being ordered to leave.

"Okami asked me to," was all she said, a supposedly satisfying reason. He resigned, not in the mood to fight with her, and eased off the windowsill.

_She really has settled in with us…_ Kenshin thought. _This sort of thing seems familiar already._

An unfamiliar book on the stand caught his eye. _Not mine_, he thought. _Haven't seen this before._ "What's this notebook," he asked her.

"That's my diary," Tomoe said, her face as blank as paper. "Please don't read it."

Kenshin scowled a little. _As if I would!_ _I know privacy as much as the next person…_his eyes flickered again to the diary. _She really has settled in, if she's leaving her diary out in the open in my… **our** room._

Tomoe brushed past him, picking up the booklet and tucking it into her obi. "Just to be sure," she said, not looking at him. Kenshin's pride was tweaked. He couldn't believe she thought he would snoop through it. He walked out, peeved, and saw Iizuka in the hallway.

"Oi, Himura," said the older man.

"Iizuka," Kenshin acknowledged gruffly.

_Hm?_ Iizuka peered at Kenshin, stroking his chin. A grin spread upon his face. "Why the long face? You have a fight with Tomoe?"

Kenshin's brow twitched and a click was heard as he unsheathed his katana with a push of his thumb. Iizuka leapt back, hands held in front of him protectively. "Okay, okay! What's eating you? Jeez."

"Did you want something?" Kenshin grunted, a little embarrassed at his show of anger.

Iizuka's face turned unnaturally serious, and with a flick of his wrist, a black envelope appeared between his fingers. "It's tonight. Take care of it."

Kenshin's eyes chilled, and his face became stony. He didn't say anything, but took the envelope without a word.

_A job tonight. Prepare for the blood._

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He waited in the shadows, and then sprang. He heard the chinking sounds of swords being grabbed for, but the first one, his target, didn't even get a chance to draw it. He was focused; his sword flashed out and slashed across that face with the widened eyes and gaping mouth. He didn't bother to watch him fall, and turned immediately to face his other opponents, wet drops of blood spilling up and landing on his back even as he created more. Across the chest, through the neck, his sword was dripping. He countered the next bodyguard's strike easily.

_Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Sou Ryu Sen Ganami!_ The attack's name pulsed through his mind as his muscles pushed the sword powerfully through the man. Only two left. He turned his back and walked away even before the bodies fell.

The blood had not spilled on him, but he had to keep washing his hands… he heard her, felt her approaching, even though her steps barely made any noise, as silent as a cat.

_Don't romanticize her… she's only a woman… just…_

He was giving her too much credit. The thick tabi she was surely wearing at this time of year helped muffle her steps. That was all. _Iie. _

Her voice was soft and eased into the silence so that the sound of it wasn't startling. It just combined to make a soothing whisper… but the words carried no peace.

"Do you intend to keep killing like this?"

_No, it's not just the tabi… she's graceful, beautiful, and she haunts me. I can't help but take heed to her words._

_…Why?_

She watched him, and his eyes flickered, reflecting only a fraction of the distraught confusion within. His hands scrubbed against each other harder, the water splashing out of the bucket.

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He didn't see Tomoe for a few more days. He had another job, and another. Three nights in a row of assassinations, and finally, it was done. He crept to his room, glad that she wasn't there at the moment, and got upon the windowsill to rest. He was tired.

_The smell of blood… and her perfume. But over time, the scent of white plum has overpowered the stench of blood…_

His head slowly bowed, giving into sleep. The last things he remembered were his latest victims and her face. His body gave in, weary, and he slept, for how long, he didn't know. He slept until he heard the rustle of cloth, and then his eyes sprang open, maddened. He didn't recognize her. The sword was at her throat before she could scream.

_Blood blood blood-_

Her eyes were wide, frightened. She had a right to be.

_Blood blood blood, but it was **her**-_

_Tomoe!_

His eyes widened horribly and he let out a cry.

_No!_ His body, now under control, jerked in resistance. His sword arm slowed enough for him to shove his hand between her body and the sword, shoving her away.

It was all over in an instant, but his body was covered in sweat and he was panting. He gripped the arm that held the sword. _Oh, Kami…_

_What have I… what did I just do? What I could've done…_

"I'm sorry," he managed to mutter, eyes closing, still breathing hard. She was still here; that was bad. She had to get away from him while she still could.

_She was always with him… he couldn't stop thinking about her… she had to go._

"I bragged that I would never kill a civilian, and now look at me…" His head was bowed, his voice filled with hopeless contempt for himself. "If you had come any closer I would have…"

_Please leave. Leave me…_

He knew that she understood. He knew that she could hear his unspoken plea. But she set her shawl down onto his lap. He was stunned.

"Let me stay here a while… now you need a sheath, to hold back your madness."

His eyes widened, staring down at the cloth. He couldn't look into her eyes. That was all right, because he knew what he would've seen. A dark gaze, with eyes that seemed to accept all of him. She _did _accept all of him. He had almost killed her, and she was still here with him. She trusted him, despite his madness, and he trusted her. His fingers clenched, grabbing tight onto the silk scarf.

"I thought about my answer," he said, still bent over and clutching her shawl, Tomoe standing in front of him. "Whether or not I'd have killed you, if you had a sword. The answer is no."

His heart felt strangely heavy, not with grief, but another deep, unnamed emotion. "I wouldn't kill you. Whatever happened, I could never do that to you."

He felt her stir, not restlessly… but perhaps with the same emotion he felt. It was wondrous to imagine.

"Not to you," he continued, his voice dropping down to a whisper, lingering in the air. "Never."

_I would never hurt you. I would never kill you._

_  
...I love you._

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A/N: Yeah, I suck at this now. As in, updating regularly. The last line is a little…coughs bleh, but I'm too bad to change it. Anyway, we need some romance for the holidays, right? (yeah, right…). Okay, enough of the negativity, all of you who had interest in this story, thanks for reviewing and letting me know. I'll try and keep up. See ya! 


	7. Yukishiro Tomoe: Waking

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing. :)

Yukishiro Tomoe:

Waking

When I wake, the sun is out and shining through the paper windows, lighting the room with its friendly yellow glow. I can even hear birds outside. The room is small and furnished plainly, with no flower decorations, but there are books scattered everywhere. I notice these small details first; my eyes flick to the side and suddenly I see _him_. The hitokiri from last night. He's so close to me. I freeze in shock. His dark clothes, his head bowed, his katana resting nearby, so close that I could reach out and _touch_ it. My whole body tenses up, and my breath catches.

He's asleep… sitting up, right next to me. If that's so… was he here during the whole night? Watching me? What has he done to me? Did he…

My eyes squeeze shut, and I try to control my breathing, which has sped up along with my heart. I try to get a hold of things by feel. I have my clothes, or at least, some clothes… my kimono was drenched with blood. So was my face; I remember how warm the liquid was. I tense up under my covers, trying not to shiver in case I wake the killer. With my eyes closed, shutting out the light of day around me, I remember it more clearly. The dark alley, the dead man, cut apart so brutally. I didn't dare examine him closely with my eyes. I wasn't thinking clearly. I had kept my eyes on the murderer.

_You destroyed Kiyosato._

_You ruined my marriage._

_You took away my future._

_You made it rain blood… truly._

There really was so much blood. I don't remember anything after that. But wherever I am… he must have taken me. He _touched_ me.

I open my eyes again, watching him silently. He's surprisingly young, just like how Tatsumi-san told me. If he's so young, maybe I have nothing to fear. I blink, surprised at myself. I look at his katana again, to remind myself of what he is. I can't believe I even _need_ reminding. Only last night did this boy demonstrate his ruthlessness to me.

His hair is red, his bangs falling to cover his face, but I can still see his closed eyes. Even in sleep, he wears such a stern look. And on the left side of his face there is…

_The scar._

Suddenly, I cannot bear to be in this room with him any longer like this, watching this sleeping killer, wondering if he watched me the same way. Taking a breath, I get upon my elbows and rise slowly from the futon, leaning away from him. He doesn't stir. I ease out the other side of the bedding, putting the blanket back in place without sound.

I'm wearing a white yukata, made of good, thick cloth. I put a hand to my face. Clean. Someone has done this to me. My eyes turn back to the red-haired hitokiri sleeping no less than five feet away from me. _It wasn't him_, I tell myself, trying to think rationally. _He is still wearing the same clothes as last night, and if he did bathe me, wouldn't he have… _

_I haven't been bedded_, I tell myself, sighing faintly in relief. I don't detect any pain in my body…

I get up from my knees and stand up, looking around for a change of clothes, but there are none. I move for the door, trying my best to be silent, when a soft rap comes from it, making the shoji shake slightly. I freeze, and then take my chance.

"Who is it?" I ask softly.

The shoji slides open a crack, and I see the wrinkled eye of an old woman. "Ah, you're awake! Hurry up and follow me."

She slides the shoji open further. I don't know whether to trust her or not, but wherever I am, I doubt I could trust anybody. I decide to obey her, following her docilely. When I step out into the hallway, she slides the shoji shut behind me, making sure to do it quietly so that she doesn't wake the remaining occupant in the room. I wonder briefly whether she does this because she too is wary of him, or just because of manners. Looking around at my surroundings, I can guess that maybe this is an inn. There are many rooms down all the hallways.

"Come on then," the old woman beckons again, and she starts shuffling down the hall. I follow her, trying to keep my expression neutral.

"So, you came home with Himura, last night." The woman remarks.

Her tone sounds critical, but I reply steadily. "…Yes. I fainted and he took me here."

"But that's not the whole story," she says briskly. "You were dead drunk, Miss."

"We met at a bar. I was already having drinks by myself when he arrived."

"Do you come from a brothel?"

"No," I answered, and couldn't help keep a spot of reproach out of my voice.

"Then where are you from?"

I thought a moment, wondering how much I should lie. "I… I have no family as of late. I wandered into Kyoto alone when I met Himura-san."

"Well then, I'll expect you'll be staying here for a while," she said in a satisfied voice. "I could use another helper."

I blinked in surprise. Perhaps it was only me, but I thought the woman was handling this in a strange way. I wanted to ask her if she usually took in stray women like this, but I held my tongue. If I kept silent and obedient, perhaps they wouldn't notice me, and that way, they'd be less likely to force me out.

That was my mission. To stay as close to Battousai as possible, so that I could learn the ways of his mind, find his weaknesses. Well, it seemed I had already failed. I had escaped the room in fright. Should I have stayed, to watch him? As if he would have let out any clues right then. A yawn, words spoken in sleep? I doubted it would be that easy. No, I don't think I was mistaken by leaving him. In my shaken state, he might have found something out about _me_.

"You can work, girl?" the innkeeper asked again. I turned back to her. I had been staring off to the side, and now she raised an eyebrow at me, obviously annoyed at my lack of attention.

"I can," I answered, making my voice docile, hoping to appease her. "I can do all basic things, and also write and arrange flowers."

My voice and what I said made her approve of me. She smiled, no doubt pleased she had snared such a skillful girl.

"All right, then…" her voice trailed off, and she waited expectantly.

"Yukishiro Tomoe," I said readily.

"Tomoe-chan, you'll just be serving the breakfast today, if you don't mind. The job is simple enough and later on in the afternoon I'll show you more of the inn."

"Yes…" Now it was my turn to wait for a name.

"Just call me Okami," said the innkeeper.

"Hai, Okami-san," I said obediently.

She leads me down the stairs to the kitchens. Some men are already up and about, as well as some other serving girls, whose ranks I suppose I will be joining soon. All give me looks, questioning from the women, admiring from the men, but they don't try to lure me into conversation, which I'm thankful for. I think part of this is because of Okami-san. Somehow, her business-like persona made her someone you wouldn't want to spend too much time with, like a scary new mother-in-law.

Only one man stops me. He has a thin mustache, and wears his shoulder length hair drawn back casually. He appeared ahead of us, said a greeting to Okami-san, to which she replied, and then stepped directly into my path, rudely. He looked down at me with an eagerly interested expression, but then his look quickly turned to surprise. Before I could wonder what that was about, he recovered himself and rubbed his chin, staring down at me.

"Ho, so this is the girl Himura brought home from last night…" he said in a loud voice, drawing attention, which I could tell immediately he liked. The few men in the corridor exchanged looks, not bothering to lower their voices. Their smirking and mystified looks told me that this was something rare, if ever done before.

"It's nice to meet you," the man smiled, bending slightly to look me in the eye, trying to be intimidating. When he smiled at me, I recognized him. My eyes must have widened a fraction. Iizuka, future traitor to the Ishin Sishi and spy for the Yaminobu, put his face closer to mine, and I stared ahead past his shoulder, still as stone.

"Keep that mask on, woman," he told me in a lower tone. I tensed as to not flinch when his breath struck my ear.

"Go on now, Iizuka-san," said Okami-san, flapping him away from behind, disliking the hold up. "You can see Tomoe-chan later. She'll be serving then."

He straightened up and gave her what could have been a mock bow as an apology, and then walked over to his comrades. "Hard to believe, huh?" he asked them, as they nodded with him. "I've _got_ to tell the other guys. And she's pretty too, isn't she? Himura struck it big…"

His voice faded away as the men walked off, their excitement growing. I stared after him, a little startled, but I did as he told me. I replaced my mask, as firmly as ever. I stopped feeling with my face. All the emotion, the confused feelings, sunk down to my chest, and there they stayed, safely contained, and my facial expression stayed distant. Okami-san didn't even talk to me more after that, except to introduce the inn and my new chores. I was her obedient worker, and she didn't suspect a thing.

I cooked. That was my first job. I put the pickled vegetables onto their respective bowls, put each bowl on a tray, and then steamed the rice, adding what seasoning was needed. It had been a while since I worked in a kitchen. I was reminded of home, and the ache squeezed at my heart but my face was untouched. I thought of Enishi, faintly. I couldn't spare him any thoughts. From now on, ever since my decision to leave for Kyoto, we had to separate. His nee-chan had to go do important things.

Like avenge murder. It was a cruel justice, but this world was cruel.

How stupid I had been, to not suspect. I had already known that sometimes life could be unfair. That mother had been taken away from me… but the presence taken away from our household was replaced with a new one, my baby brother. And Kiyosato-san… when he had left, it had secretly hurt me, and made me worried. But even then, I hadn't known… I hadn't thought seriously that he would be killed.

How I waited for him. I waited for him to come back to me, for us to be wed, and with that, all my insecurities would magically vanish. I would have a good home, with people I loved. We'd still live in Edo. Enishi could come visit everyday, if he wished. And that I hadn't smiled at him when he proposed to me, that guilt would wash away, because I'd have the chance to smile at him every day in our new married life.

It was not so.

How I waited for him. Everything I did since he left, was just to pass the time in waiting. Even as I took care of Enishi, I was waiting. I cooked, and I was waiting. I waited, and he never came back, because the boy upstairs stole him from me.

So now I'm down here… waiting for the hitokiri.

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… The end! Whee, I'm spinning more and more off the manga to my own stuff. And as for less sporadic updates… kind of hard to do, as these things don't get done on time… (due to my lack of effort, perhaps… I don't sit down and write everyday.) Well, hope you guys are satisfied, nevertheless. Thanks a bunch for reviewing. :) Oh yes, for TanukiGirl22, yes, haku baikou is white plum. Bye till next time! 


	8. In The Country: Changes

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but that's okay. I _like_ fantasizing.

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In The Country:

Changes

The change in him is amazing, and beautiful. Slowly, over these past months, Himura Kenshin has grown into a beloved apothecary and playmate in the village of Otsu. Not only that, he's my husband. The dreaded Hitokiri Battousai is a married man. I hate it when I think like that, but I still can't help remembering his past. It just makes me want to watch him even more, the smiles spreading over his face, the way he deals with the village children and lets them roughhouse with him. I think of his changes, and wonder just how many I brought on directly by myself.

He used to be annoyed with me, I know, the first few weeks we lived together at the IshinSishi hideout, because of the way I disturbed his usual, dutiful, dreadful lifestyle. But now he's let me know, on more than one occasion, that my presence gladdens him. When he smiles at me, I feel guilty for not returning it, and guilty for even thinking to. When we first began living in our home together, making it out as husband and wife, I wished for Kiyosato. I thought it cruel and ironic of fate to throw Himura and I together like this.

_Kiyosato would have made me happier_, I thought to myself. _We would have had everything._

But I still couldn't deny the growing feeling of comfort… and if I could forget about how I met Kenshin, the blood he splashed upon the streets of Kyoto, and my original intent to him… I thought that maybe, perhaps, that I'd truly be happy with this quiet life. Considering the circumstances, he wasn't a bad husband. It wasn't a particularly loving relationship, but I could see that he was glad to have me living with him. He _let_ that loving look into his eyes, for me to see. A barrier had been washed away, and I wished to be like him.

But I wasn't like him.

I worried, and thought of what I was doing. I had a past that I wanted back, where both of my dear ones, Kiyosato and Enishi, were there by my side. As far as I knew, Kenshin had been trained for killing since he was a child, or how could he have been picked for being the so called Guardian of Chaos? They couldn't have chosen someone so young unless he had great skill.

As far as I knew… this might be the only time in his life that he's felt happy. It's a scary feeling that I'm sharing this with him. I, the woman whose love he killed, I, who he seems to have fallen in love with in return. And I… I was supposed to search for a weak point, but I have grown one instead. It's Kenshin, and my confusing emotions over him. I care about him too much. Despite my attempts to smother them, my feelings have developed for him. I suppose in the end, I've fallen for him, as well. I don't want to believe it, but the feelings I keep bottled in my chest are overwhelming sometimes, when I look at him. Now, I have to go with the flow.

And on the nights that I have so much to write about, that I stay up so late that Kenshin retires to bed earlier than I… I carry the candle over and kneel down beside the futon, and I don't climb in right away. I sit and watch his peaceful face, my eyes roving over him. He does not wake, either, except for that one, startling time. He had felt my eyes on him and he opened his and blinked, recognizing me, and then he smiled sleepily at me.

"Tomoe? Won't you come to bed?"

"Yes," I answered quietly, inwardly mortified that he had caught me. I eased in between the covers, and underneath his hand found mine and caressed it gently. I responded instinctively, curling my hand around his. His hand was warm. My cheeks tinged faintly, and I closed my eyes, wondering what I thought I was doing. I couldn't give him the cold shoulder, so I opened my eyes again and turned my head to take a look at him. His eyes were still open and watching me, a soft lavender color. He blushed faintly in return and smiled at me again, before turning his head back to face the ceiling and closing his eyes. I did the same, our hands still clasped.

We were still like that when I fell asleep. When I woke up, he was already dressed and gone. I wondered if we had held hands all night, but I couldn't ask him that. It was a trivial question that shouldn't have bothered me, but it did, for a few days after.

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A/N: 

Could've been longer... but I decided to just end it at that. Maybe a bad decision... but I'll write more like that, prolly. I want to try Kenshin next. :x I think it's sort of difficult to find out what he was thinking about Tomoe... I don't think he thought she was perfect or an angel, but he loved her anyway. Well, not sure what will turn out. Cyz!


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